Gun Violence

Gun Violence is an important issue that needs to be addressed

October 20, 2016

Dear, Future President

Imagine if you heard about a massive shooting in a neighborhood near you. You know that you have family who live there so you are worried about what happened. Later that night, you find out that a family member of yours was killed in that shooting. Many innocent lives are taken everyday due to gun violence. It is ashame that somewhere in the United States we lose a life everyday due to gun violence. People need to know that killing doesn’t solve problems it just make things worse, and it leaves detrimental effects on that families who has lost their loved one. I believe a change needs to happen, and you need to change the way gun violence is increasing across the United States. Gun Violence brings more problems to the United States than there already is, and it should be addressed immediately.

The United States has the highest rate of gun violence among developed countries. “Studies show that countries and U.S. states with high rates of homicide also have higher rates of gun possession.”(Green) People are now using guns to harm people, instead of for the right reason such as for self defense. More than 300,000 people in the U.S. are killed by firearms each year, about which ⅔ of which are suicides, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Innocent people’s lives are taken because of gun violence. Civilians in the U.S. own about 270 million guns, according to a 2007 report by the Switzerland-based Small Arms Survey. That is slightly more than Indonesia’s which is the 4th largest population. (Simon) For examples drive by’s, shoot outs, and just if someone is just walking down the street. The firearm homicide rate for children under 15 years is higher 16 times higher than in any other 25 other industrialized country combined. It is such an important issue because it is getting out of control. It remains suprisingly easy in most parts of this country to get our hands on a gun. “The United States loses far more people to gun violence - homicidal, suicidal, and accidental, and there is one reason: the easy ability to guns.” (editorial board)

There aren’t really much solutions to help end gun violence out yet, but however they could start. “The best approach to gun violence is to zero in on that small number of higher risk people who are using guns.” (Beckett) The government should have stricter policies, and longer sentences for the people who are using guns for the wrong reason. According to, Lois Beckett Universal background checks may help as well. There should an age limit for people who can have guns, because in the United States it easy for anyone to get a gun. The President should also end gun illegal carrying for good so that gun violence can end. Dear next President, I’m hoping that you really do take the problem of gun violence into consideration because gun violence kills way too many people. Maybe you could make a stronger policy to stop it for good.

Sincerely.

Sanai Knight

Works Cited

Beckett, Lois. "What Could Actually Work to Fix Gun Violence in America – and What Doesn't." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 23 June 2016. Web. 23 Oct. 2016.

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Letters to the Next President 2.0 engaged and connected young people, aged 13-18, as they researched, wrote, and made media to voice their opinions on issues that mattered to them in the 2016 Presidential Election.

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